


This too shall dissipate .

by littlewonders_of_twistandfate



Category: Riverdale (TV 2017)
Genre: Amnesia AU, F/F
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-04-28
Updated: 2019-04-27
Packaged: 2019-04-29 06:50:34
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 5
Words: 13,977
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14467293
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/littlewonders_of_twistandfate/pseuds/littlewonders_of_twistandfate
Summary: Toni loses her memories, Cheryl loses her mind.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> This is something that came to me while I was eating and I had to act on it.This will be a multi chapter story with someoriginal characters mentioned in further chapters,also this is AU but still based on canon.  
> I hope you enjoy.Feedback is appreciated :)

Plans made things easier, they used to be the only thing saving her from a total breakdown. Today more than any day she needed a plan to survive and not disappear into thin air. She needed  a plan because she was 2 seconds away from giving up.

Today was supposed to be the beginning of her life, she'd leave behind all the pain that had once ruled her life, she'd leave it all behind to create new memories alongside the person who glued her back together.

7 p.m was supposed to be the time of redemption and new beginnings instead it turned into the twilight zone. The drive to her destination took longer than she had imagined, that's because she wasn't going to her original destination...she was driving to a hospital located 2 hours away.

Once she arrived she wasted no time walking but instead ran to find her, frantically looking for the room the injured girl was in. The chart read her name and the numbers displayed 217,the room she dreaded going in.

Fearing the worst she braced herself for what she would find. Hospitals  didn't sit well with her ,the idea of death scared her but finding the other girl faced with death...that petrified her. Drawing in breath she filled the gap between the hospital bed and her nervous self.

A small cut and a few bruises was all she could see wrong, seeing that death was no longer on the top of the list and that the sleeping girl with the hospital gown was fluttering her eyes she started to let out the breath she had been holding in.

But she wasn't half way done letting it all out when the sleepy girl spoke softly. "Red.."The voice was barely audible but she'd recognize that voice even over blaring music and loud people. For some reason words couldn't come out to respond but maybe it was for the best.

The next thing she heard would just make her go speechless. "You have red hair I've never met someone with red hair."The bed bound girl seemed curious to the rare pigmentation found in the other girls hair. The red headed girl stood there not being able to breath, everything seemed to be closing in, she told herself it was just a joke to turn a difficult situation lighter. After all that's why she loved her, she always found ways to make the mood from gloomy to funny.

"Toni..."Even though she could speak well, her voice also came out barely audible."This hospital seems to fancy to be in Riverdale."The other girl said ignoring her name being spoken. Now The read head was worried, of course this place wasn't in Riverdale. They hadn't been living in Riverdale for over 3 years.

Before anything more could be said a tall man walked in he had a chart in his head belonging to the patient that was currently in front of him."Mrs. Topaz you've woken up I'm just here to check some things but you are looking good."Of course the doctor was not yet aware of the true severity of it nor did he check the right side of Mrs. Topaz's bed where the young Red headed girl was starring at the wall trying not to break down.

"Doctor may I ask you something?"The patient asked him as he examined her vitals."Of course that's why I'm here for."He gave a reassuring smile."I'd like to ask  where I am...I know I'm not in Riverdale and I don't know why I'd be living somewhere else."Toni slowly said keeping her words calm and flowing. There was no fear in them but just curiosity which surprised the doctor."Mrs. Topaz you're at Le Belle Hospital in New York."Toni frowned a little trying to piece everything together at the site of this the girl by her side couldn't take it anymore.

Cheryl felt her chest constricting and her vision getting blurry, she bolted out of that room into the nearest empty space. Of course this would happen to her, meeting the love of her life and making countless memories only to have them wiped from Toni's mind.

She'd be laughing if it wasn't so tragic. Instead of either of those she ended up on the floor sobbing not caring if anyone heard her. It started it out small and before she knew it she was choking on her own tears. Luckily for her before she suffocated in her sadness a nurse found her.

The nurse informed her the doctor would like to speak with her about the prognosis. Cheryl stood up with the help of the nurse who just looked at her with pity all over them, and she just wanted to run away from everything.

But she'd never do that, she promised Toni a lot of things and sticking by her side even when things got bad(even when she didn't even remember the promise)Cheryl would not leave a confused and scared Toni alone.

A million medical terms were thrown at her, some she couldn't even pronounce. Seeing how out of it Cheryl was the doctor simplified everything to "She has memory loss and we don't know how permanent it is, we just know she's lost the last 5 years or maybe a little more that is yet to be seen."All she could hear was "she doesn't remember me or what we had" The universe really hated Cheryl by some sort of comical joke Toni had forgotten exactly the amount of time they had shared.

Going into a room with the ghost of your lover was one of the worst things  Cheryl had experienced, and she considering she had her hands full of trauma and sadness was really saying something.

Cheryl thought over what she would say to Toni, how to address her without "baby,T.T or hunny" how to act around her and especially try not to look at her like Cheryl had just lost the one good thing in her life.

Before Cheryl could execute anything she'd practiced Toni greeted her with a questioning look."Is vanishing in a blink of an eye something Red heads specialize in? Or just you." Toni tried to lighten the mood, obviously whoever this girl was knew her well enough to care to come to the hospital. "How do you know me?"Cheryl dreaded that question, out of all the things she had practiced she still couldn't bear that one.

"Friend..."Was all she could manage out."Before or after Riverdale?"Toni asked trying to gather as much information as she could."Before" Cheryl said a stoic look on her face."Oh..Serpent?"That would make a lot of sense Toni thought to herself."No."Cheryl only found  herself responding in one word sentences, if she spoke longer she'd fear her voice cracking.

Toni was now back to Square one, secretly she was hoping for the red head to say yes. The Serpents were still fresh in her broken mind,she really couldn't think of a reason a friend, not from The Serpents, from Riverdale would be here with her.

"Did I meet you in the Southside?"Toni kept interrogating Cheryl who was looked like she wanted to be anywhere but here. "No."Toni was growing tired of her one worded reply, she remembered nothing and the girl who did would not share information with her.

Cheryl needed time to make a plan on how she should go about this. How could she tell Toni anything without revealing stuff Toni was not prepared to hear."Could you at least tell me why I decided to leave everything behind and move to New York of all places?"

_"Let's leave Riverdale T.T,let's start over in a place not tainted by death and memories."Cheryl said as she kissed a sleepy post-sex Toni."We could totally do it, I'm emancipated so my mother can't stop me. Plus we're about to graduate and Riverdale doesn't have stellar Universities at least not the Universities we deserve."_

_Toni sat up now awake "And where would we go?"Cheryl smiled and let all her research and plans be heard by Toni. The shorter girl laughed and gave her a loving look before speaking._

_"I guess I'll be a city girl after all."_

"You wanted a fresh start."Omitting more than half of the true story was necessary in order to give Toni something that could resemble useful information. "Why?"Toni's question was in hate air for a while before Cheryl replied."I never really asked...you never really said."Now that was just a plain old lie thrown toward Toni.

"We came here together didn't we?"Cheryl gave Toni a sad smile, her mind was tired of fabricating lies and twisting the truth so this time she didn't."Yes...we did, we both came here to start fresh."

"I can't remember your name, I'm sorry."As much as it hurt her, she tried her best to act like it wasn't a big deal."My name is Cheryl and don't worry about it. Everything will be okay I promise."All she could do was make new promises to Toni, promises she'd remember for the time being.

"I'm glad you're here Cheryl...this city seems scary to be in alone."Toni confessed her voice faltering slightly .Up until now she hadn't expressed any fear just confusion but Cheryl knew every little movement Toni had she knew when Toni was scared, and right now she was terrified about her own mind betraying her.

"You should get some sleep Toni."Cheryl suggested after seeing Toni's eyes droop almost unnoticeable. "Will you be here when I wake up Cher?"She didn't want to be alone in a place she knew nothing about but something about the presence of the Read Head soothed her enough to actually be able to sleep without having a panic attack on the spot.

"Of course Toni."

Toni fell asleep  before Cheryl could finish her sentence. The words came out painfully and automatically.

"I love you..."It was more of a whisper into the dark but a part of her needed to say it. The little box that weighed so much in her pockets demanded to be opened, not being able to ignore it anymore Cheryl took the black box out and opened it carefully.

A perfectly crafted ring was securely inside, it was meant for Toni to symbolize the beginning of  new chapter of their lives.

Today turned out to be  a new chapter in their lives, not in any way she had imagined, but she couldn't give her the ring because this ring was meant for Toni just not the Toni she had in front of her.


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope you like this longer chapter.As always feedback is appreciated.

The doctor suggested Toni stay for a week for careful observation (hopes of a sudden full recovery) and to create treatment plan best suited for her situation. As much as she despised the hospital atmosphere she was dreading the second they discharged Toni.

That would mean bringing her home, and home was blurry concept she still had to figure out. There were now new rules and accommodations that needed to be made before Toni could come back. Well not really Toni Cheryl thought to herself, she felt sick to her stomach at her actions towards a hospitalized version of her lover.

Would Toni hate her if she ever found out the way she acted in this dire moment. She hoped not, she hoped many things the first one being Toni being okay again. It wasn't just her wanting the other girl to get the her memories back for the sake of their relationship but it also had to do with the fact that Toni was a semester away from graduating and she was so happy about it.

There was so much pride in her eyes every time she talked about being the first in her family to graduate. _"And not just graduating from any old thing. I'm going to be a mechanical engineer Can you believe it Cher?"_ She used to say every chance she got making Cheryl a very proud girlfriend.

Now graduation day seemed to move farther away with each passing day she stayed in the same state. Cheryl had graduated just a couple of weeks ago, studying business to continue the family company she would not let die (not like its original heir to the throne).She had applied for an internship in a respected international company. It would take a couple of weeks until the decision was made but on her third day at the hospital her life began to move again (and it scared Cheryl how fast life seem to pass by).Out of 2000 applicants and two rounds of selection she had gotten the internship along with 5 other graduates. It was insane. This was supposed to be her moment, there should be cake, friends with lame jokes and silly smiles, celebratory kisses and promises of a future so bright it could leave you dazzled.

Instead there were white coats, sterile rooms, vacant eyes that used to be full of life and an uncertainty about it all. This phone call was actually the first call she'd answer in 3 days. The reason being she was ignoring anyone (who cared) until she could figure out a way to break the news without crying uncontrollably (the last thing she needed was being the week one when she wasn't the sick one).

But she was desolated and needed to at least share with someone this incredible(yet worst timing)opportunity she had just received. There were three options on her list(her only three options for that matter) she could call Catherine Toni's best friend ,that was not affiliated to any gang ,who also happened to be in the same engineering branch as her but calling Catherine would result in Alexandra, the other best friend, tagging along. Both of them were friends before they met Toni, but somehow the then pink haired girl was the perfect addition to the duo.

When it came to Toni, Alexandra and Catherine were protective of the smaller girl(even if Toni could take care of herself.)Calling them would be a disaster and a long sermon directed towards the red head about not calling them sooner and Cheryl had no fight left in her at the moment.

Now the last person on the list was Victoria but since she was Cheryl's best friend she held the name of Vic on her phone. Best friends were something foreign to her, specially seeing how the last one she had ended (Heather still was a subject she rather avoid).Who knew all she needed was to let go of some of her many demons (she had Toni to thank )and socialize just a little bit to meet the best friend anyone could ever ask for.

Victoria knew how to read people and act accordingly. She was caring always one to help others even if she sacrificed herself in the process.The girl was artistic (and boy did she make masterpieces),intelligent and if that wasn't enough she was the best damn lawyer of her generation.Oh and she was beautiful and not entitled in any sense.

They had met thanks to Alexandra (not that she really introduced them) at a party she had thrown for friends and collegues.Alexandra and Victoria were both studying to become lawyers they were never friends but for some reason Alexandra extended an invitation to her and she ended up going. And even crazier she had ended up meeting Cheryl who would later become someone very important in her life.

Cheryl loved her, not in any romantic sense, and after everything that she had experienced she understood there were many types of love. Experiencing true love from Toni made her be at a point  where she could start letting people love her and slowly learn to love them (never in a romantic way since that space was longed filled).

So she definitely could not call Victoria, she'd run crying to her arms even before the girl stepped into the room. Spilling every single thing she could not say in fear of confusing the bed bound girl. Maybe not calling anyone would be best, for now.

That was the game plan...until she saw Toni's face. Her expression sorrowful aching answers that had not been given to her. Somewhere between the first day and now Toni stopped trying to talk to her.

Strained answers and small talk with no useful information just made Toni quieter and melancholic. She was grateful for the Red Head who was there for her after her accident. It almost seemed as if she had not left her side even to sleep(which was worrying).

Yet the most she would say was "How are you feeling today?" or her most common answer. "I'll go get the doctor" any time Toni pressed to be enlightened only to be shut down. She wondered if she had anyone else who cared about her in this fast paced city.

She just wanted to call Sweet pea or Fangs. They would tell her the truth even if it hurt. That's something she didn't know she loved until the only person that knew things decided to omit 90% of the truth.

Maybe she wasn't really her friend and just genuinely didn't know the answers to the questions. Obligation could be the reason she had not left, maybe she felt that way seeing as they ran from Riverdale together(according to the red head at least maybe that was another lie).

Toni disliked the feeling of being trapped and not knowing what to do. Back home the serpents always kept her on her feet. There was always something to do, someone to beat. She had many questions all divided into past (why the heck she left Riverdale) and present(What was she even doing in this city, did she even have a home or was she back to couch surfing?).

Cheryl was probably the only one here that could answer the past questions. As to the present ones, there were probably only going to be answered if she magically regained her memory. There was more chance of Cheryl actually talking to her than the memories coming back.(And she doubted any heartfelt confession from her anytime soon).

So when Cheryl disappeared into the infinite hospital to make a call and less than an hour later she heard a commotion only to see people arguing with Cheryl which left her standing awkwardly by the frame of the door before walking off leaving no trace behind. Toni felt her silent prayers answered or at least she'd get to meet new(old would be the correct term) people.

Catherine could not even begin to word how incredibly confused and mad she was at Cheryl. It had been three days since her best friend had gotten into an accident and lost her memory yet she was just hearing about it.

Cheryl let her lash out she took every insult Catty threw at her, because in a way she deserved it, and she knew that more heavier insults were to come after they found out how Cheryl had been acting around Toni.

"You better hope she doesn't remember you being a little-... ."Catty stopped herself not wanting to say something she would regret later. She entered the room with Lexi who had yet to say anything but did a good job staring Cheryl down. Cheryl just sighed and decided to give them privacy. Her stomach grumbled indicating she needed food ASAP.Distracting herself with food seemed like a good idea so she headed to the cafeteria.

Toni watched as the two women approached her. They looked very alike, both of them had curly hair the taller girl's hair just a shade darker than the other girl and similar facial features. Both had smiles plastered on their faces which made Toni want to smile with them.

They weren't afraid of interacting with Toni, and that was a first unlike the red head who seemed to be walking on egg shelves anytime she had to speak. It calmed her in a way, she desperately ached for interaction that wasn't medical related.

"We have been told you've temporarily forgotten some years from your great lived life. But don't fret T-Bird we are here to help."Catty pointed out, she had to believe it was temporary or else her cool exterior would not be so cool anymore.

"First of all I'm Catherine but best known as Catty around town."

"And I'm Alexandra but I hate my full name so don't even try it. I go by Lexi."It sounded as a threat but somewhere in the land of forgotten Toni knew she was just messing around. A small laugh escaping her lips.

But her laugh was short lived, she needed answers and they could be a good source of information, real one."I just want to know stuff...like what I do, what am I like, where do I live...why am I here?"The last part was met with apologetic glances.

No matter how mad Lexi and Catty were, they knew it wasn't their place to answer those types of questions. Anything involving Cheryl and Toni's personal life had to be dealt by them only. It would be an invasion of privacy that Cheryl would probably never come back from and even if they didn't say it often, they considered Cheryl a close friend not just because she was Toni's girlfriend but because she had proven to be a good and caring friend to them.

"Well for starters you're almost a mechanical engineer like me. We actually met because I need a calculator for one of our exams and you lend it to me on the condition that I would stop being a little bitch."Catty began the story of their friendship and could see Toni interested in every word coming out of her mouth.

"To your defense Catty can be a  little bitch specially in the morning."The other girl chimed in earning her a small playful glare from Catty. At least she was becoming someone, she was living her life but that only made Toni a tad bit sadder knowing her accident had suddenly stopped her (fun sounding )life.

"Are you also a mechanical engineer ?" she asked Lexi who had yet to share personal information with her. Lexi shook her head taking a minute to prepare her story, she was always careful to speak unlike Catty who said the first thing that came to mind.

"I'm far from any engineering career I actually graduated already. So I'm a lawyer now at your service if you ever need legal assistance. We met thanks to Catty and her poor planning skills."Lexi said remembering how messy that day had gone.

Catty and her were supposed to have a lunch date, as they did every end of the month, yet Catty had agreed to hang out with Toni at some Italian restaurant. Sensing her huge mistake Catty convinced Lexi to come join them, she couldn't just cancel things with Toni their friendship was brand new and not spending the day with Lexi would result in some fight later on, and hang out with both of them.

If anyone asked Catty, she genuinely thought the lunch had gone south 30 minutes into the whole thing. But to her surprise at the end of the lunch Lexi asked Toni for her number, to continue their discussion on corruption, and before she knew it their monthly lunch dates had an extra chair included.

It was like Toni was the last piece of the puzzle, they soon became insperable.Of course due to Catty and Toni spending every school day together, became the closer Friends (not that she would ever tell Lexi that).

Despite their endless chatter and fun they seem to be having, Toni couldn't shake Cheryl off her mind. The brunette wondered why Cheryl hadn't come back. Could it be that she had finally left. Or maybe she just didn't get along with the other 2 girls, after all they had been fighting just a few hours ago.

Lexi excused herself to go to the bathroom promising to return with snacks and left a never quiet Catty telling Toni yet another crazy adventure they had all shared. Only Lexi never made it to the bathroom(she wasn't really go to the bathroom) instead she ended up making a long phone call she probably shouldn't of have. Then she made her way towards the sitting Red head who looked completely miserable.

Cheryl sensed someone was right besides her but she did not feel like looking up. It was probably just Catty here to yell at her again. But the voice she heard belonged to the less aggressive one of the duo. What she said however made Cheryl look at her with wide eyes.

" I called Victoria."Lexi proceeded to explain."You need someone to be by your side to help deal with this. Unfortunately it can't be us, I wouldn't yell at you but Catty would...you have to understand she doesn't hate you."She paused letting Cheryl digest everything before continuing."Toni's her best friend even more than I am, she's scarred to lose her friend just as much as you are. Unlike you she has just found out about it and it still high on emotions."Being the lawyer she was, she had sure this argument was dealt with before it could damage their friendship."We'll leave as soon as Victoria gets here."Lexi headed to the vending machine grabbing a couple candy bars for Catty and Toni. Before leaving she said one last thing to her."Telling her stuff helps. In the short time we've been here she seems to be reacting well. Not anything big but at least it's progress. You don't have to tell her love confessions, even the most trivial of things can make a difference."Lexi said as she walked away into the halls of the hospital.

After that Cheryl just sat on the hard hospital seat staring down on the floor. She knew Victoria was on her way so she had to mentally prepare for the waterworks that were sure to come. Somehow she got lost in her thoughts only to be pulled out of them by a warm hug, she already knew who the hug belonged to before she even looked.

Soft and caring blue eyes were looking right at her and for some reason the immensity of what was happening hit Cheryl like a ton of bricks. As expected she could not contain the tears she had been holding since that first day at the hospital when everything began. The blonde didn't start speaking until Cheryl had calmed down.

Victoria grabbed her hand to help her stand."You need to be in there with her, don't worry I'll be there to help if it becomes too much."Cheryl nodded at the comforting statement at least Victoria wouldn't be screaming at her any time soon.

"I may have slept with our Applied Physics professor."The confession made Toni gasp. In the short time they had spent together it  had been enough for her to see why Catty was her best friend. The girl was crazy,spontanueos and in her own way protective of her friends. Also insanely funny(not in a common way tho).

"You slept with a professor! I mean that sounds like a you thing to do."Toni teased now sitting in an upright position so she could be right in the gossip zone."No I slept with a man who turned out to be our, may I say young, Applied Physics professor."She said defending herself from any possible taunting she would receive from either girl.

Toni was about to keep on mocking her but she saw both girls demeanor change. They suddenly fell quiet, Catty more than Lexi, and there was a sudden tension in the room. When she positioned her eyes to the door there were two girl standing there.

One of them happened to be the girl Toni had spent all day thinking about, the other someone she had yet to re-meet."I'm working on this big case that I still have to prepare. I must leave now, we will see you tomorrow when you come up with better arguments as to why Catty needs to stop sleeping with random fellas."Toni nodded and chuckled, which was Lexi's original intention. However she did not receive any friendly response from Catty who was not happy at them leaving because others had arrived.

They ended up leaving, Lexi had to almost push Catty out the door before she could insult Cheryl again. The blonde smiled at Toni a smile different from Catty's or Lexi's it was sweet and more interlaced with pity. It wasn't that she hated the smile it just felt serious, gone was the easy going mood and in came the calculated heavy talks.

"This is Victoria she's our friend or I guess another one of our friend's."Cheryl said holding Toni's gaze for longer than she had these past few days. Toni already found herself liking Victoria's presence if it meant the Red Head would actually acknowledge her.

Victoria introduced herself, telling a few stories here and there. Apparently she was Cheryl's best friend and Toni's friend. She was a lawyer just like Lexi(better than Lexi Cheryl had added) working for a firm that never hired freshly graduated people. But they did for her.

In the hour that Victoria had been there, Cheryl had talked way more than her one worded replies. Occasionally even speaking directly to Toni holding eye contact when she spoke. The night had dwindled out and Victoria had to leave but she promised to swing by first thing tomorrow.

Toni expected Cheryl to go back to her small talk after Victoria left. But to her surprise she kept talking to her.(At least for a while before Toni had to screw it up)Cheryl was explaining to her how the doctors were satisfied by the way she was retaining new, or at least forgotten, information which was a good sign apparently.

"That means you can go ho-...leave sooner."Cheryl tripped on her own words. The word home was like  stab to her side. Home was a strong word for Toni since the girl was basically homeless for the majority of her life.

Toni perked up at the mention of home. No one that had come in to see her actually told her where she lived or who she lived with. Not being able to contain her curiosity any longer she had to ask.

"Where is home?"Toni waited patiently for what seemed like a decade before Cheryl opened her mouth. There was a moment Cheryl considered lying and saying Toni lived with Victoria, the blonde was looking for a roommate it could be temporary at least until everything went back to normal, but she couldn't lie about that.

"You live with me."Toni nodded slowly, that would explain why Cheryl was the first one to arrive. But it didn't make much sense, wouldn't she be roommates with Catty or Lexi? After all they got along great.

"Why?"The question came out before Toni could stop it and she saw the girl revert quickly to her reserved self."Roommates."She said plainly no emotions whatsoever. The red head grabbed her phone she had placed on the table besides Toni indicating she was leaving off to somewhere(Toni had already began to recognize her actions).

"I'll call the doctor to check vitals...and stuff."There was no need to call anyone eventually the nurse would check on Toni for the night, usually around 9 p.m but it was her overused excuse to leave the room. Toni watched Cheryl leave once again always wondering how long it would take the red head to come back. Toni fell asleep with no sight of Cheryl. Only when the brunette was asleep did Cheryl return. She was always careful not to wake the sleeping girl, but she could not resist herself from grazing her hand or placing a small kiss on Toni's forehead. Some things were just too engrained in her system. Her phone lit up indicating an incoming call she was expecting a call from Victoria to check up on her so she answered without looking.

Big mistake.

On the other side of the phone was not a bubbly blonde waiting to hear about her worries, instead she was met with a voice belonging to a man. A man not very happy at the moment, to be exact a man whose name was Sweetpea.

Sweetpea Toni's ride or die,Sweetpea who was showering her with questions about Toni's whereabouts. She could have lied told him to call back later, of course the universe had other things in mind.

At that very moment Toni woke up asking for some water, the girl was coming out of slumber so she didn't notice Cheryl on the phone. Her voice made it through the phone and into Sweetpea's ear.

"Is that Toni? I need to speak to her."Sweetpea demanded raising his voice as he had to repeat the last part several times since Cheryl was refusing to speak.

"I'll call you back."She said ending the call in a hurry. Only to have her phone ring over and over until finally just turning it off for the night.

She got Toni a glass of water and watched her go back to sleep unaware of who had just called. Cheryl would call him back in the morning, she would explain and hope for the best. Hope for him to not come all the way to New York just to rip her head out. If, more like when, the Serpents knew about Toni. Cheryl would be in some serious trouble if Toni was not well by then. Something inside her told her she should start preparing what she would say.

The Serpents were persistent and they would probably be contacting her. Sooner rather than later.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Victoria,Catherine and Alexandra are part of the original characters of the story.I would love to know who is your fave and least fave of the bunch.  
> Until next chapter :) hope you liked it.


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope you like it and as always  
> feedback is appreciated :D

Today was discharge day which meant Toni would be finally leaving the hospital after her week long stay, and just in time since her last semester in school was about to begin the following monday.Hospital policies required the patient wait until noon.

Luckily Toni was rather busy for the day, Catty had brought over some of her past notes so she could catch up before starting school. Her memory had wiped out some important things relating to her career. She was surprised to found out she was actually a fast learner and could comprehend many things that looked difficult at first glance.

Lexi sat besides Toni both reading and studying their own things. There was a comfortable silence between them only occasionally speaking if either one of them needed anything like water or food. The reason Lexi was the one watching Toni was because Catty volunteered (more like forced Cheryl to agree) to help Cheryl clean and make some new accommodations (more like try to wipe any trace of their relationship so it wouldn't be awkward to Toni) to their loft.

Catty promised to play nice and not corner Cheryl or insult her. She had kept her word and not started a brawl with the red head, she had also not talked to the red head for that matter. Only exchanging short replies or asking where she wanted the stuff to be moved.

It was weird seeing pictures of the two lovers being boxed away and stashed in the darkest of corners. Cheryl seemed unfazed by all of it. The girl was great at bottling feelings only to let them all out at the most unlikely situations(Toni once told her).So it came as no surprise when a box filled with pictures and gifts fell to the ground, due to a poor use of tape, and Cheryl became a blubbering mess.

Tears came rolling down her cheeks no matter how many times she wiped them clean. Cheryl groaned and cursed with every object she placed back into the box. A hand came into her view, Catty placed a Polaroid that had scattered near her due to the box falling, in front of the red head. Cheryl grabbed it but before she could throw it inside the box Catty broke her silence.

"I took that picture at Toni's birthday party when we all thought it would be a good idea to hit as many bars as we could in one night. I honestly don't know how we managed to get home."At Catty's words Cheryl took a moment to look at the picture.

It had been a crazy filled night, Toni wanted to do something different than just go to a regular bar and hang out with her favorite girls. She still wanted to hang out with them but an adventurous night would be what they were in for. After planning the night Toni shared her itinerary with them.

In an hour they were meant to visit 2 bars with totally different vibes. The first one  was a gay bar to start the night off (the ambiance was always great in them). Then they went to a biker bar (in honor of the Whyte Wyrm she was so fond off.) where Catty got into a "who can chug a bear faster" contest and ended up winning while earning the respect of the tall muscular guy she had gone up against.

The actual picture Cheryl had in her hands was not taken until the 4th bar they visited.Laxtok was not on their itinerary but due to unforeseen circumstance they took a detour which led them there. It had an Irish pub vibe to it but it was more of a dive bar to be exact.

There weren't many people inside but they stayed for the amazing drinks at a low price. Joe the owner was really nice to them even giving Toni a margarita, that was out of this world, for her birthday.

Since the music wasn't as loud as the previous bars, Toni and Cheryl managed to have an actual conversation. Cheryl was rambling on about how fishes were the best pets anyone could have. Toni just laughed every time Cheryl scrunched her nose when one of their friends disagreed with her point of view.

When Lexi chimed in, she gave Cheryl a 2 minute long reply (with information straight out of the encyclopedia) as to why she was wrong. So Cheryl rolled her eyes and made a face at Lexi which made Toni look at Cheryl like she was the cutest thing her eyes had ever seen. Catty was playing around with her instant camera and turned at the exact moment all of this was happening. She managed to get the perfect shot.

Now looking at it just made her day become gloomy. Nobody had ever looked at her the way Toni does or...did. Would Toni ever look at her that way again? Heck she'd be lucky if Toni remembered her in any sort of way.

"Will her birthday be different now? Will she enjoy it with us...if she never gets her memory back?"Cheryl wondered placing the picture aside feeling guilty to just throw inside like it meant nothing. She needed that picture to cling to hope that everything would be okay that Toni would be okay.

"We have to believe she will regain what she has lost."Catty began.

"But Cheryl..."Catty said in a warning tone towards the Red Head." Toni will always be Toni no matter what. And if she never remembers the past you will just have start your love story again. It may be different this time but she will end up falling for you if she hasn't already fallen in love with you."

"I don't know why she chose to fall in love with me....she could've had anyone but she chose me."Cheryl confessed. The first time around they had fallen in love it was by chance. They were enemies at first, then quickly became friends. For a couple of weeks Cheryl was okay with finally having a friend in her life but it quickly  became clear "just friends" was not meant for them.

They were meant for a love so passionate it left people envious about the bond they had. They shared a love that only came once in a life time, so how would she get Toni to fall in love with her again. Was that even possible?

"You two are meant to be. For better or for worse you belong to Toni and Toni belongs to you. Just be yourself since that's who Toni fell in love with. Honestly she'd fall in love with any version of you."Catty gave Cheryl a slight pat on her back before continuing to help clean the place up. Cheryl grabbed the picture and placed it on the bedside table reminding herself to retrieve it later.

It took them another two hours before being satisfied with the results enough to call it a day. Besides Catty had to go meet up with her father that had just arrived in the city. Cheryl thanked her for helping out with the task. There was still like an hour before Toni was discharged, she hesitated a little not knowing if she wanted to wait or leave already.

After a while she settled on leaving for the hospital. She could always walk around and maybe look around. Cheryl took her red convertible that she still preserved in pristine conditions (thanks her meticulous handling of the car) and headed to pick up Toni.

Lexi told Cheryl she would handle the whole discharge process for her in case any legal matter could come afloat. To her surprise Cheryl was actually late since the papers were already signed and Toni was out of her hospital gown walking around the room.

Cheryl felt breathless at the sight of Toni back in her regular clothes she closed her eyes and took a deep breath telling herself to gather herself on not be so weak over every little thing.

"Cheryl´s here "Lexi said announcing the Red head's presence. Toni turned to face Cheryl giving her a big smile."That means I can finally leave this place. I don't think I could handle any more white walls and bland food."

They all got into her car to get some food since Toni was starving. Cheryl let Toni decide where she wanted to sit not wanting to pressure the girl. In the end she ended up sitting in the backseat with Lexi who saw the brief flash of sadness that crossed her face.

The smaller girl was astonished at the city so famous all around the world. All of it was new to her (even if it wasn't).Seeing Toni so fascinated at the sights Cheryl took a longer way to the restaurant they were going to so she could see more of it.

Lunch wasn't awkward but there wasn't any consistent conversation coming out of any of them. Lexi was called into work leaving just Toni and Cheryl to finish their food. When Lexi left, Cheryl started to internally panic not knowing what to do next.

"This city is great I always wanted to come here when I was little."Toni said remembering her time spent day dreaming of traveling around the world (or just getting out of the trailer park) and taking pictures every where she went.

She wondered if she still took pictures. Photography had been a hobby of Toni's she really enjoyed and considering what she had to work with (a crappy camera) she was really good at it.

"Would you like to see more of it?"Cheryl was willing to drive around until the sun disappeared if that's what Toni wanted."I would love to see around maybe familiarize myself with the city again."There was excitement evident in Toni's voice and just like that the mood shifted and they started talking about the hotspots and famous places New York had to offer.

They saw as many places as they could fit in due to the crazy traffic that was always present. Surprisingly Cheryl enjoyed the day without getting too many sad emotions over seeing everything again with Toni. She didn't have time to be sad since Toni was overly happy making Cheryl happy in the process.

When they arrived back to their loft Cheryl felt herself tensing back up. If Toni had any questions on her mind she didn't voice them out loud (maybe she could sense the discomfort that was taking a hold on Cheryl.)Instead she followed Cheryl into the bedroom that apparently was hers.

It was an upgrade from the last bedroom she remembered having(if she was lucky to have a place to stay back in Riverdale). There wasn't much inside but the essentials, it looked cozy but it didn't feel like her room.

She wanted to thank Cheryl for everything, for staying each night with her, for being the first one there, she wanted to thank her for deeper things (like thank you for helping me leave Riverdale) but she settled on a simply "Good night Cheryl."

Toni watched as Cheryl disappeared into her own room amidst the darkness of the night As hard as she tried to sleep, she found herself unable to. It didn't make sense as to why she couldn't conceive sleep. She hadn't had any trouble at the hospital, and it wasn't like she wasn't tired(she was exhausted from their tour of NYC)  but as soon as she closed her eyes they snapped back open.

Like she was afraid of her mind taking control and distorting the truth. There was only one thing different from her nights in the hospital and her new bedroom, Cheryl wasn't in the room with her. It would be selfish of Toni to go knock on Cheryl's door asking if she could come in. The Red head was probably long asleep and besides Cheryl was probably tired of having to be by Toni's bedside. Exhaustion ended up winning making Toni fall asleep after hours of shifting and moving on the bed.

Inside the other room laid a wide awake Cheryl who had yet to fall asleep due to the darkness around her that made her feel frightened. She desperately needed Toni by her side(or just in the same room) to get a good night rest. Her life had been filled with horrendous events that all liked to come back in her dreams(more like nightmares).Grabbing her headphone she put on some relaxing music hoping it might let her rest even for a few hours. She ended up just getting an hour of sleep which was better than nothing.

\---

Three weeks had passed since Toni left the hospital. School had just started and no one was going to let Toni not graduate on time. They all did their part but Catty was the one helping Toni the most. Since they were in the same classes and majors it became Catty's duty to give her past class notes and afternoon study sessions.

Cheryl was a hundred percent on board with all of it, Toni deserved to graduate on time despite the circumstances she was facing. Cheryl had also just started her internship with demanding work hours. She barely saw Toni during the week since their schedules weren't lining up. But this was a very important opportunity for Cheryl and she had to keep working the hours they told her to.

On Thursdays she didn't see Toni until night time, since Toni had after class tutoring sessions to catch up with everyone. Thursdays were days she got off work at a reasonable hour and she just needed to get to bed(even if she wasn't actually going to sleep).Of course her bed would have to wait to be used.

Veronica Lodge was standing in front of her door clearly irritated from knocking so much. Cheryl was already turning around to avoid being seen but her efforts came up short she had already been caught.

"Looks like I finally found you, we need to talk."Veronica was in town for a local fashion show one of her good friends had organized, when Betty called out of the blue begging Veronica to check up on Toni.

Sweetpea had expressed his concern to Fangs over Toni going MIA overnight. Fangs told FP about it when Toni had not picked up for their monthly Serpent meeting. Of course FP went and told Jughead since he loved solving mysteries (and also he cared about Toni).Jughead seeked help from Betty after coming at a dead end on Toni's whereabouts. Finally Betty remembered Veronica mentioning going to NY soon on some  fashion trip.

Veronica agreed to check on Toni right after her prior engagement. Toni once gave Sweetpea the address to their Loft just so he would feel better about Toni leaving so far away. Cheryl was tired and definitely not up for this, but Veronica was in front of her so she had no other option.

"If we're going to talk I need caffeine."Cheryl let Veronica inside and told her she just needed to change out of her work attire. Veronica roamed through the living room. Her suspicions increased when she saw no pictures around. She remembered liking a picture of them cuddling in their living room and there were several pictures in the background. The red head also seemed more tired than usual. Almost like something had left her (possible a break up?).Toni and Cheryl breaking up...that would not be good.

Cheryl reemerged from her bedroom in much casual clothing (still more dressed up than many).Veronica led them to a small coffee place that was her current obsession, Cheryl just went with it. She could feel the dark haired girl's eyes burning through her.

"Before you ask anything who sent you?"  
"Short answer or long answer?"

She could care less about the full story she just wanted to get this over with."Short answer".

"I was the last option."

"Figures."Said Cheryl as she pushed the ice inside her drink with her straw."Did you break up?"Veronica asked making Cheryl shift uncomfortably in her seat. For a moment Veronica thought she would say yes, she was already forming encouraging words but Cheryl burst her bubble.

"It's not that."

"Then what is it?"Veronica feared it might be more serious than a break up.

"She got into an accident...."Cheryl said it in a whisper leaving Veronica to believe she had imagined it. Was Toni dead?...No that didn't fit...Veronica's eyes widened at her own realization. Toni was in a coma which would explain everything was happening."Oh my Gosh I have to tell them."Veronica grabbed her phone but Cheryl stopped her.

"Whatever you're thinking it's probably wrong."

"Toni isn't in a coma fighting for her life "Veronica said confused as to what the truth was.

"No."

"Then what is it Cheryl!"Veronica was getting irritated by Cheryl's unwillingness to cooperate.

The red head starred at her for a while trying not to reach across the table and slap Veronica. She spoke calmly, or at least she tried to."Toni lost her memories from the past 5 years. If you know how to count you will realize that's the amount of years we've known each other. And if your time with Nancy Drew  has helped in any way then you'll realize Toni doesn't remember me in any way shape or form. Sorry if I didn't call to inform how my life is basically falling apart as we speak."Cheryl fumed at a speechless Veronica.

 "Cheryl..."

"Don't even start with your pity Veronica. I don't want or need it. I'm taking care of it, I'm helping Toni get better and I don't need any of you interfering. You can tell whoever sent you the truth if you want I don't care."People were staring to stare at their exchange but neither girl cared.

"It isn't fair to her Cheryl, all she remembers are the people you don't want contacting her. All any of them want is for Toni to be okay and for all you know talking to them might help Toni remember something."Veronica argued not letting Cheryl shut her down. She stood her ground even when Cheryl looked as if she was about to murder her in broad daylight.

Veronica was right and Cheryl hated it. Sooner or later she would have to let them see or talk to Toni. It was also a matter of time before Toni asked herself to speak with them. She had already started to sense Toni wanting to ask about the topic of Riverdale friends.

"We all just want to help her, they care about her well being just as much as you do. Let them call her she needs it and so do they. "she said in a much calmer tone. Cheryl nodded at Veronica's words."Just tell them not to mention...me. I want to be able to tell her myself."The last thing Cheryl wanted was Toni to feel guilty about not being able to reciprocate those feelings she once shared with Cheryl.

"Of course Cheryl."

Veronica promised to cal her every week to hear about how things were going. The red head knew the calls would probably not be a weekly thing but rather a once in a while thing (Veronica was always busy and traveling all around the world) but still she smiled when Veronica said it.

\---

On Friday Toni's tutoring classes had been canceled by her professor(something about an unexpected meeting) leaving her with free time. A boy in her class had invited her to a party at a nearby frat house. He wasn't hitting on her since that same boy proceeded to invite other boys and girls to the party. Part of her was glad he wasn't flirting she didn't really know how to react to it.

When she got home Cheryl was already there sitting on the couch with her computer in her lap. Why did her roommate have to be so insanely beautiful even in such a casual setting. She shouldn't be thinking of Cheryl that way but she just couldn't help it.

Her thoughts were cut short by a voice belonging to said girl occupying her mind."You're back early."Cheryl put her laptop down so she could pay full attention to Toni. The Brunette took the action as an invitation to sit beside's her on the couch.

"My class was cancelled because my professor was called into some sort of meeting. That means I got to come back early. Sometimes I feel like we barely see each other."Toni said leaning closer to Cheryl's side of the couch."I know."The red head sadly agreed, her time with Toni was limited nowadays.

"There's this party at a nearby frat house everyone is going to be there. I don't know it might sound fun."Toni suggested but Cheryl didn't seemed thrilled at the idea. Party's were never Cheryl's true scene, she went to them in Riverdale only because she was bored and getting drunk and talking with other drunks seemed like her best option if she wanted to stop feeling alone. She wanted to spend the rest of the day with Toni not some horny frat guys.

"I have a another idea why don't we watch movies. I'll let you pick them out."Toni clapped her hands agreeing to what Cheryl had said. As Cheryl had imagined Toni had picked comedy movies which were not Cheryl's favorite but it wasn't like she would actually see the movie (her eyes were focused on the girl besides her.)

Soon after the third movie Cheryl felt herself dozing off she was beyond tired from her hectic week. When Cheryl had fallen completely asleep Toni put a small  cushion in between her legs and positioned Cheryl's head on it. She didn't want her to wake up with a stiff neck.

Toni ran her fingers through the soft strands of red hair. She felt relaxed just by touching Cheryl who was in such a deep sleep she was even snoring quietly. It wasn't long before Toni drifted off also in a deep slumber she had not had for weeks. Her bed was way more comfortable than the couch yet she could never fully rest.

When Toni woke up she felt rejuvenated thanks to her sleeping properly. However when she looked down Cheryl was nowhere to be seen. Only a note was placed on the table indicating her to check the fridge for her breakfast. She found an omelet and some orange juice waiting for her.

Toni was grateful for the breakfast that had been left for her, but she was secretly hoping she would wake up to Cheryl still sleeping on her lap. Seeing Cheryl that way made Toni feel butterflies in her stomach. At this point she would do anything to be around her roommate.

She had to keep reminding herself Cheryl was just her roommate and that acting on her new found feeling would probably make things awkward. So she ate her food and headed off to the local library, after all she still had to catch up if she wanted to graduate.


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> SO SORRY THAT I HAVE BEEN GONE FOR A WHILE.  
> I have finished HS so I have more time before I start UNI so I will update more regularly.  
> Hope you enjoy this chapter  
> it is CHONI CENTRALLLL

Despite Rain being horrible for her hair, it made for good scenery. She loved watching the droplets of water slowly slip off the window. The way the sky turned gloomy yet was charming in a different kind of way. But despite her love for rain she found herself anxious and worried.

Nowadays she felt herself in a perpetual state of anxiety largely due to the brunette whose safety she feared for every second. Day was turning into night and still no sign of Toni. Catty was out of town interviewing for a job offer her father had gotten her. So that meant Toni would be alone at school, that was mainly why she felt so anxious at the moment.

She had refrained herself from offering to drive Toni to school and pick her up after classes were done in fear of overstepping once again(she still thought movie night was not the wisest choice).Cheryl found herself unable to refrain herself from  calling Toni's(temporary) phone so she could at least know where the heck the other girl was.

The phone rang several times which made Cheryl start to think of highly unlikely situations."Hey." was all it took for her mind to be at ease. Cheryl sat down grabbing the cushion that ended up below her and placing it aside so she could sit straighter up.

"Toni hello I just wanted to check up on you. See how you're doing with this rain."Cheryl  said trying to sound as cool as she could. She didn't want Toni thinking she was stalking her just that she was a concerned friend.

She could hear muffled voices and hard rain which made Toni's voice lower than usual."The rain is picking up force I'm kind of stuck here since I have to take with me this engine and it can't really get wet."Cheryl stood up so fast she almost hit herself with the coffee table in front of her."I'll come pick you up."She quickly replied not giving time for the other girl to protest.

Cheryl grabbed her keys and two umbrellas before heading out into the cold rainy night. She somehow managed to get to the university in record time without breaking any driving rules. She was about to call Toni so she didn't have to enter the campus(she wasn't fond of that many people in there and she was sure many of them hated her back.)

Engines can't get wet...right. Cheryl had the umbrella to keep Toni and that damn engine dry so of course she had to go inside. The campus was empty except for tutoring students. Toni sat on a black metal bench. Because she was facing backwards Cheryl had to touch Toni's shoulder. This made the smaller girl hesitate before turning around not knowing who was seeking her attention.

She visibly relaxed when she realized who had touched her."You really didn't have to come for me."Toni took the umbrella that Cheryl had extended for her. The red head quickly realized Toni could not hold the engine and the umbrella at the same time so she grabbed it back and closed the gap between the two.

They managed to get inside the car without getting wet. The engine was placed in the trunk of the car and Cheryl chivalrously opened the door for Toni, waiting for her to get inside and avoid one single drop of water on her head.

" I hate rainy days."Toni states dryly. For her rainy days only remind her of the hardships she's faced. She is a rather optimist person for what life has thrown at her but even the most resilient can have moments of weakness.

"Why?"Cheryl knows the answer Toni would have given her before the accident. She knows many things of Toni's past and family but it took Toni a while to open up, unlike Cheryl who shared information of her past easily.

It wasn't like Cheryl could hide anything, Riverdale was a small town and the Blossoms were everyone's favorite gossip topic. The girl beside her shrugged and looked out the window."I prefer days when the sun is shining and the birds are singing. It brightens my mood even in the shiftiest of days."

In a way this whole ordeal was making Cheryl get to know things she never knew about Toni. Details that she was previously not aware off but made her fall deeper in love with the girl besides her. And although she hated the predicament she was in, she was starting to find the flip side of things.

When it rained Cheryl was extra careful behind the wheel. Of course not everyone thought that way and accidents were always high on rainy days. The traffic light shined green indicating it was Cheryl's turn to continue, before her car could reach normal speed a black SUV cut Cheryl's path missing her car by a few inches.

The two girls slammed against the back of their seats as a consequence to Cheryl hitting the breaks abruptly. Cheryl was more angry than she was scared."What an imbecile doesn't he know the rules of the road! If it hadn't been for my always impeccable driving my car would have been wrecked."She rambled eyes focused on the road not wanting another repeat.

"Toni are you okay?"Cheryl gave a quick glance to Toni."I-car..yeah."Toni's response was labored and slow yet she was not speaking in full language. Finding the next available parking spot Cheryl slowed down her car to fully check on Toni.

"Car..black. It was black too."Toni was desperately trying to speak properly but she felt her chest tighten making air less abundant in her system. She grabbed the handle and swung the door open bolting out the car. Toni didn't make it far before her stomach decided to empty itself on the deserted side walk.

Her stomach was contracting violently making her small body shake from the force. Soft hands placed her hair in a messy pony tail. Cheryl grabbed Toni tight anticipating the moment when Toni's knees would give up on her.

Cheryl moved Toni away from the puddle of vomit that was now on the floor. She helped Toni sit on a concrete stair belonging to the house in front of it."Just breath sweetie, you're okay. I promise you're safe."Her voice was soothing and her touches comforting, still the image of a black car was still fresh in her mind.

This car was not a black SUV but rather a black medium sized car. The car in her mind was the one responsible for her crash that fateful day. The details of the day were still fuzzy, only coming back in fragments that seemed to not have relations between one another.

They sat quietly only occasionally hearing Toni's hard breathing. Cheryl wished she could comfort the girl like she knew how to, of course that was out of the question since she used to kiss her and hug her until she felt they became one person.

"Can we go home?"Toni asked in a shy tone. She was a little embarrassed that Cheryl had just seen her expulse her insides."I' m here if you want to talk about it."Cheryl offered but the response she got from Toni was rather unexpected.

Toni scoffed at the offer and replying in a heated way."Just like you help me remember my life before losing my memory."Cheryl stiffened unsure how to address what had just been said to her. Toni was right though she really had failed to jog her memory, to bring her back.

"I don't know how to deal with emotions...not even when my brother died was I able to conjure up the correct feelings. Blame it on my mother, my father or just me being a Blossom but here I am doing things wrong once again."It felt like a confession suited for a church pastor, for a moment Cheryl was debating heavily on just coming clean.

This whole ordeal of acting like she was okay with Toni not remembering her was just exhausting her. Before she could spill all her secrets  Toni spoke first."Wait...I'm confused."Cheryl raised her eyebrow at her indicating she was unsure of what she was talking about.

"No offense but if you're a Blossom how are we friends. I mean the Blossoms hated the Southside and after what happened with FP wouldn't you just despise us?"Toni wasn't trying to sound rude but after Cheryl revealed her last name she pieced together what family she belonged to. Her current memories might be all jumbled up but Toni remembers well everything that happened in Riverdale(or at least almost everything).

Cheryl wanted to mentally kick herself for exposing her last name, not that she knew it would evoke this type of reaction from Toni. Everyone knew about Jason of course The Serpents would've known first hand seeing as their leader played a role in that fateful day.

"I did hate all of you, for the longest time but then your school shut down and you came to our school. If you want to know why we became friends I honestly don't know. I was a plain bitch to you and everyone else yet you took the time to get to know me."Cheryl let those memories invade her thoughts. It was just Toni and Cheryl in an empty street, this was the closest she would get to feeling comfortable to share her thoughts.

It felt like years of silence had passed, Toni was deep in thought almost like she was trying to piece together something. Cheryl hadn't really expected anything to come out of the conversation, maybe some small talk and then apologies would follow allowing to go home for the night, instead Cheryl was about to hear something she had never imagined.

"I remember you insulting me and I think I also pushed back. But you looked alone and sad, I didn't know much of your life I mean I currently don't either, still you lost your brother and your father. I don't have any siblings so I don't know what it feels to lose one but I have lost my parents."Toni paused gathering as much from her fading memories as she could.

"Your dad was not a great man at least to the outside world, neither was mine. He tried being a good father but revenge got the best of him. While trying to get revenge on the people who killed my mother he ended up dead. I was also mad at the world when that happened to me, luckily I found the serpents they helped me when I was all alone."Cheryl was about to pass out from this sudden heart to heart conversation.

Toni had never really told her about how her parents died, it was a topic Cheryl had never pressed too hard on. She knew they had both been killed but the actual story surprised her."You became my friend because I was alone?"The red head asked intrigued at what the answer might be.

"No, I started talking to you because you seemed like you needed someone to be there for you. But I became your friend because you're sensational ."The word sensational seemed to be like a second nature to Toni, even if she didn't know why.

Cheryl didn't know at what point tears started running down her cheeks, Toni might not even realize the implications that small word had on them but it seemed like the sun came up again after years of darkness.

"I'm sorry for saying what I did, you have done nothing but help me out and now I am the bad friend."Cheryl shook her head and wiped her tears."No you're right, I need to tell you things because only then will you regain your full memory back."Cheryl stood up in front of Toni.

"From now on  I promise to tell you one thing per day. Maybe it won't be super big everyday but I will try my best to tell you things that count."She said extending her hand for Toni to stand up. The other girl smiled and nodded."Deal."And with that they headed home for the night.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> feedback is always appreciated :D


	5. Chapter 5

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Cheryl and Toni get into a routine and Toni has a realization about her feelings towards Cheryl.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I've had this chapter half-way done for about 4 months but I never got around to finishing it.Sorry for the long wait,Engineering loves to kick my ass but I love it XD.HOPE YOU ENJOY THIS NEW CHAPTER!!  
> PS.I am having someissues with the publication dates so now it is making her put the date I posted the fic as the day I updated the new chapter,sorry about that :(

Toni asks cheryl if she can call Sweetpea and fangs. They face time and he promise to visit. Cheryl waking up from a nightmare of Jason and her life but this time Toni comforts her. them sleeping this time Toni wakes up to cheryl cooking. Before she leaves.Toni gets a fever and Cheryl rushes her to the hospital,doctor gives her hope that maybe they can fix her memory.

......---.....

 Cheryl had kept her promise for the most part. She had supplied new details to Toni that slowly exercise her mind and got her to start remembering minor details. For example one day while Cheryl was in the kitchen making herself a chicken wrap Toni returned from school with a box in her hands.

When she placed it on the kitchen counter it earned her a grin from the girl on the other side. Toni had bought  a six pack of Cherry Cola, somehow she knew it was Cheryl's favorite because she specifically said she had bought it for her.

Opening up even if it was in minuscule proportions seemed to ease their dynamic. Every morning they would both wake up around the same time and prepare their respective lunches. Cheryl being a health enthusiast after seeing Toni pick out questionable foods she took over her lunch.

In part Cheryl wanted to make Toni foods that were rich in vitamins and nutrients that helped her boost her memory for the future and present. She made her a lot of tuna salad that was rich in omega-3 fatty acids like DHA (docosahexaenoic acid ).

"Experts say DHA is very important in the normal functioning of neurons which some research has shown to help patients with amnesia."Cheryl explained to Toni in hopes of erasing the disgusted face she  had after smelling the Tuna. Nonetheless Toni always ate what Cheryl packed for her because she didn't want to disrespect Cheryl who cared about her well being.

"Cheryl" Toni  voiced the other girl's name as she entered the kitchen area. Today the smell of smoked salmon and roasted mackerel filled the air, it wasn't totally displeasing to Toni but she still preferred a hamburger with an order of large fries on the side.

"Don't worry no tuna today, instead we will eat Salmon the fish of the gods."Salmon had always been one of her top fish choices. Growing up she always asked her cook to prepare such a feast. Even when times were not on her side and she momentarily was without money she still found a way to eat that pink fish.

"I was wondering if by any chance you had Sweetpea's or Fang's phone number? Or anyone from Riverdale that I know."Toni shyly asked not sure if she would make Cheryl retreat into the darkness and go back to barely acknowledging her.

Packing the recently finished lunch gave Cheryl enough time to gather her voice without seeming like she was avoiding answering the question. After all was packed into the small Tupperware's Cheryl replied to an expectant Toni.

 "You can call him from my phone if you want. Unlimited minutes so you can chat the night away."Cheryl would lend her phone to Toni come night time since Sweetpea was not a morning person as she had come to known.

She would dial his number and leave Toni alone to give her some privacy with him. It was also due to the fact that Cheryl did not want to be near the phone with him on the other side. She had not formally talked to him since she hung up on him that day in the hospital. He was probably very unhappy with Cheryl and she wished not to push any more buttons.

Toni checked her small black phone that she had been using as a temporary fix to her destroyed IPhone. Catty was two minutes away from picking Toni up for school. Cheryl had fixed the vehicle Toni was in the day of the accident but she knew it was not a wise choice to let Toni drive for the time being.

Public transportation was not Cheryl's preferred method for Toni, once again she worried for the safety of the smaller girl in the bustling streets. She would prefer to drive Toni everyday to school but traffic in the city just didn't allow for that, since she still had an internship she needed to be on time for.

Catty was the best option for Toni, and she was happy to pick her up for school. Cheryl gave her gas money after arguing with Catty that she just wanted to make sure they didn't run out of gas in the middle of nowhere. After a while she agreed only because picking Toni required extra gas to avoid those crowded streets were they could get stuck for hours.

"Have a nice day at work Cher and thanks."Toni said grabbing her lunch and packing it in her bag, making sure to place an apple inside (another one of Cheryl's instructions)."For the food  "Toni wanted to say she was grateful for everything the girl had done for her, she was always checking up on her and taking care of her when she needed.

Toni felt as if she was not doing enough to help out. She offered to help out with the food but Cheryl waved her off telling her she liked cooking for  both of them, so Toni didn't press any further. However, every chance she had she made Cheryl laugh or smile.

The girl didn't do that often she usually had a neutral look on her neither happy or sad. Whenever Toni was around she smiled more often, Toni usually was someone who liked saying silly things but she tried extra hard to provoke a laugh from Cheryl. Weirdly enough making her laugh was not that hard she could even accomplish it with just wiggling her eyebrows a couple of times.

When she was around the redhead things felt right, like everything was going to be okay.Somedays she pondered if she was developing a crush on her roommate and better yet how long had she felt this way for the other girl. Obviously Cheryl was unaware of the feelings taking root of her at least it seemed that Toni from the past had not revealed anything to her roommate.

She wondered if she were to ever act upon those feelings if things would get awkward after all a girl like Cheryl wouldn't be with someone like her. It's not that Toni thought low of herself, she knew people were attracted to her and that she was a catch in her own right but Cheryl deserved better. That poor girl had gone through hell and probably even further but she still manage to be nice (well to certain people) and she cared about others unlike her evil parents.

Cheryl nodded and gave her a brief smile showing her acknowledgment of the thank you."Have a nice day too."Responding briefly Cheryl waited for Toni to leave the flat once Catty had arrived to pick her up. She finished getting ready for the day ahead making sure she was on schedule every step of the way.

\---

Work had been more demanding than usual Cheryl always wanted to be the best in everything she set her mind to but sometimes that drive was negative and made her take on more than she could handle. The only upside to being full of work was that she could focus her mind to this task instead of worrying about Toni.

The past couple of days the only reason she had been able to sleep for almost 5 hours a night(which was a new record since she started sleeping alone) was because she was completely exhausted that her mind just shut off every time she touched her pillow.

Tonight she was heading home later than usual, a new project was introduced and the interns were asked to review it with the experienced workers, which led to Cheryl staying 2 hours more than she usually did. At home Toni was already comfortable in the couch reading a book her course made her read. She put the book down when she heard the door unlock. She seemed happy with the person walking through, but Cheryl quickly remembered it was probably due to the fact she had promised to lend her phone so she could call Sweetpea. Before Cheryl could take out her phone Toni stood up and ushered Cheryl into the kitchen.

Awaiting her was a home cooked dinner that surprisingly was very delicious looking. Cheryl was in awe that Toni had taken it upon herself to cook something Cheryl seemed to enjoy. Given Toni's track record through the years (Toni was not the best cook in town) she was surprised she managed to make a crunchy chicken wrap.

"I can heat it up for you, I didn't know you were going to come later than usual so I made them as soon as I came back."Toni confessed. Cheryl nodded and followed Toni into the kitchen. “You shouldn’t have bothered I could have just eaten the leftovers from yesterday.” Toni shook her head “After all you do for me I wasn’t going to let you eat leftovers,you deserve better.” The redhead wanted to run up and kiss Toni,no she craved it, but she knew she couldn’t so she just thanked her for the gesture.

When Toni finished preparing her meal, Cheryl took out her phone and gave it to Toni with Sweetpea’s number ready to be dialed. “You can go to the room for privacy if you want.” Cheryl was secretly hoping she would stay. A part of her wanted to hear the conversation, the other part of her knew she shouldn’t be nosy.

“I’ll give it back when I’m done.” Toni said as she left the kitchen to go into the room. She was only able to refrain herself for 5 minutes but curiosity got the best of Cheryl and she stood up to try and hear what they were talking about.

By what she was able to gather the conversation was getting pretty heated up. She could hear Sweetpea’s muffled voice with a hint of desperation to it, and Toni was apparently not letting him speak. Cheryl wasn’t able to decipher the whole conversation all she knew for sure was that Toni was saying “I don’t care” often.

Not wanting to get caught Cheryl went back to the table and resumed eating her wrap. A few seconds later the door flung open and Toni seemed a little pissed which made Cheryl nervous as to what the conversation was about. They stayed in silence for a while until Toni broke the silence. “Thanks for letting me use you phone.” Cheryl decided to go with something that would not make her seem so gossipy but still she was dying to know what happened. “You’re Welcome, did everything go okay?” Cheryl said casually and received a sigh from Toni.

“Yeah…we might of butted heads over something but besides that everything went fine.” Cheryl didn’t know if she should press the issue but luckily for her Toni went into detail. “I want to return to Riverdale and just spend some time with the Serpents. He said I was okay here and there was no reason for me to go.” Toni was offended that Sweetpea didn’t want to let her go back home. Cheryl would have choked on her wrap if it weren’t for the fact she stopped eating it seconds ago. “He’s not my father heck he isn’t my boyfriend to be telling me what is right or wrong for me.”

Cheryl felt her heart sink when she mentioned the word boyfriend, if only Toni knew her girlfriend was sitting in front of her things would be very different. “I decided I am going, I just need to be somewhere familiar” Cheryl didn’t know what she should say, the last thing she wanted was Toni to leave and never come back. “How long would you be gone for?” It was a question that Cheryl feared what the answer could be.

“Just a couple of days, I still have school to worry about.” Cheryl unconsciously breathed a sigh of relief. It took Cheryl a good minute to respond, she was weighing her options and deciding if she should even voice out her thoughts. “Do you think I should go?” Toni was worried of what Cheryl was thinking in this case her opinion was worth more than anything Sweetpea could say. “Like you said it’s up to you. If you decide to go I want to tag along. I’ve been meaning to go back to Riverdale for a while but I didn’t want to go alone.” Cheryl lied in hopes that it would not seem creepy that she wanted to follow Toni all the way to Riverdale.

To her surprise Toni gave her an approving look “That sounds good to me.” The redhead was not looking forward to return to a town she hated with a passion, but for Toni she would go to hell and back if that’s what she wanted. “Then it’s settled we’re going to Riverdale.” Cheryl said with fake enthusiasm masked just enough that Toni would believe it was real. “I’ll start packing then!” Toni stood up excited for the trip but before she went to pack, she hugged Cheryl as a form of thanking her. Toni left before she could notice how red Cheryl had gotten from that hug. There was one thing for sure, their return to Riverdale would definitely  get interesting.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Feedback is appreciated!And as soon as exams are over I will try and update.  
> -LOVE LILY


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